MTC Votes to Reject Funding for Free Muni for Low-Income Youth

In a 7-8 vote, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission today rejected $4 million in funding for the free Muni for low-income youth pilot program.

After the vote, proponents chanted “shame on you” to the commission, according to the SF Chronicle.

“We were definitely very disappointed, especially with the kind of resources the MTC has and the other allocations they’ve been able to make without this level of struggle,” said Jaron Browne, an organizer for POWER, which is leading the Free Muni for Youth campaign. “But there’s no way we’re stopping at this point.”

Although Browne said “we hold everybody who voted against this accountable,” the deciding vote seemed to come down to Commissioner Steve Kinsey of Marin County, who voted against the proposal despite previously indicating his support to organizers. Browne said Kinsey may have been confused about what the proposal entailed, though he didn’t speak publicly at the meeting.

MTC is all about priorities and poor youth are at the bottom of that list, if they are even on the list at all.

voltairesmistress

I think this was the right decision at this time. San Francisco should take whatever scarce dollars there are and put them towards making the transit it has run more efficiently, frequently, and swiftly. That includes getting to its backlog of repairs. When San Francisco voters or the mayor decides to give transit funding the priority it so richly deserves, then we can give free transit to anyone who needs it. Diverting money from existing programs to include another social service is just not a priority. As it is, we already provide deep discount fares to all youth, elderly, and disabled persons.

http://profiles.google.com/sean.rea Sean Rea

What is Cubic?

mikesonn

It’s not like that $4 million is going to come to Muni in other forms.

Joel

Agreed. This kind of subsidy won’t be sustainable in the long-run until Muni improves service and emerges from it continuous state of deficit.

mikesonn

Clipper.

Anonymous

The real question anybody has to ask about MTC is: Why isn’t Steve Heminger in jail?